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Healthcare
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Perspectives on Primary and Community Healthcare
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Perspectives on Primary and Community Healthcare

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Community Care".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 October 2024) | Viewed by 2228

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giuseppe Di Martino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Medicine and Ageing Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
2. Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, ASL Pescara, 65100 Pescara, Italy
Interests: epidemiology; public health; non-communicable diseases; health services research; outcomes research; vaccines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fabrizio Cedrone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hospital Management, ASL Pescara, 65100 Pescara, Italy
Interests: epidemiology; public health; non-communicable diseases; health services research; management; primary care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Primary and community healthcare plays a crucial role in promoting the health and well-being of individuals and communities. They serve as the foundation of the healthcare system, providing essential services, preventive care, and early intervention. Perspectives on primary and community healthcare encompass a wide range of topics, including the delivery of healthcare services, patient-centered care, health promotion, disease prevention, and the integration of primary care with other sectors.

This special issue aims to explore various perspectives on primary and community healthcare, highlighting innovative approaches, best practices, and research findings that contribute to the advancement of this field. The collection of articles in this special issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and future directions in primary and community healthcare.

We invite researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders to submit original research articles, review papers, case studies, and perspectives on the following topics (but not limited to):

  • Primary care
  • Health promotion
  • Disease prevention
  • Integration of primary care with other sectors
  • Digital health
  • Healthcare policy
  • Healthcare systems
  • Health equity
  • Well-being
  • New models of primary care integration

Dr. Giuseppe Di Martino
Dr. Fabrizio Cedrone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • primary care
  • health promotion
  • disease prevention
  • digital health
  • healthcare policy
  • healthcare systems
  • health equity
  • preventive medicine
  • community health

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
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  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
A Decade of Monitoring Primary Healthcare Experiences through the Lens of Inequality
by M. Isabel Pasarín, Maica Rodríguez-Sanz, Silvina Berra, Carme Borrell and Kátia B. Rocha
Healthcare 2024, 12(18), 1833; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12181833 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 527
Abstract
Background: Health care is not exempt from harboring social inequalities, including in those countries with a universal public system. The objective was to ascertain whether the population’s assessment of primary care (PC) changed between 2006 and 2016, the decade that included the economic [...] Read more.
Background: Health care is not exempt from harboring social inequalities, including in those countries with a universal public system. The objective was to ascertain whether the population’s assessment of primary care (PC) changed between 2006 and 2016, the decade that included the economic crisis of 2008, and also if it exhibited patterns of social inequality in Barcelona (Spain). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using Barcelona Health Surveys 2006 and 2016. Samples (4027 and 3082 respectively) comprised residents in Barcelona, over 15 years old. Dependent variable: Primary Care (PC) index. Independent variables: age, social class, and birthplace. Analyses included means and percentiles of PC index, and Somers’ D test to compare the distribution of the groups. Results: Comparing 2016 with 2006, the distribution of the PC index remained in women (median of 73.3) and improved in men (from 70 to 73.3). By social class, the pattern of inequality observed in 2006 in men with perceived poor health status disappeared in 2016. Inequalities according to birthplace persisted in women, regardless of perceived health status, but disappeared in men. Conclusions: In the 10 years between which the global economic crisis occurred, the assessment of PC did not worsen, and it did improve for men, but the study points to the need for more focus on people born abroad. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Primary and Community Healthcare)
10 pages, 647 KiB  
Article
Developing Physiotherapy in Primary Health Care: A First Snapshot from the Italian Metropolitan City of Milan
by Claudio Cordani, Sergio Perillo, Davide Corbetta, Elisabetta Sarasso, Federica Agosta, Massimo Filippi, Angelo G. Mazzali and Federico Pennestrì
Healthcare 2024, 12(16), 1628; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12161628 - 15 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1190
Abstract
Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian National Health Service (NHS) has been undergoing a structural reform shifting focus from hospital-centered care to smaller, intermediate, or primary health facilities closer to the community (e.g., community hospitals and community houses). This reorganization should include [...] Read more.
Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian National Health Service (NHS) has been undergoing a structural reform shifting focus from hospital-centered care to smaller, intermediate, or primary health facilities closer to the community (e.g., community hospitals and community houses). This reorganization should include rehabilitation and physiotherapy, but the actual spread of these services is still unclear. Objective: This study explored the number and characteristics of community-based physiotherapy services in the Metropolitan City of Milan (Italy). Methods: Between April and May 2024, we distributed a structured, anonymous online survey about community physiotherapy services and users to all Directors of the Health and Social Care Professions Departments (DAPSS) in the Metropolitan City of Milan. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the number of community houses offering physiotherapy services, the specific intervention areas, and access modalities. Results: Six out of seven DAPSS Directors completed the survey (87%). Thirty-seven community houses were reported in the area, with fourteen of these offering physiotherapy services. In most of them, physiotherapy was a primary reason for access following a general practitioner’s prescription. Five out of six responders reported that rehabilitation needs were mainly assessed by specialists in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, with physiotherapists involved in the assessment process in two cases. Physiotherapists primarily handled the intervention phase, dealing mainly with orthopedic and neurological conditions. DAPSS Directors noted that additional physiotherapy initiatives focusing on prevention will be implemented. Conclusions: Physiotherapy services are becoming available in the Metropolitan City of Milan. However, more efforts are needed to facilitate access and ensure tailored assessment and effective interventions, particularly in preventive care. Future investigations should help to better define the number and the characteristics of the patients who can most benefit from this type of care, the number of sessions they need, and with what types of intervention; it would be also necessary to better define the communication network in the area that allows doctors, health professionals, and patients to be informed about this possibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Primary and Community Healthcare)
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